Film advancing and guiding means in microfilm projectors



y 3, 1951 v. E. PRATT ET AL 2,553,982

FILM ADVANCING AND GUIDING MEANS IN MICROFILM PROJECTORS Filed March 7, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIEJ- INVENTORS VEFNEL/R E. PRATT BY EEUREE E E'RAY UuM ATTORNEYS July 3, 195] v. E. PRATT ET AL FILM ADVANCING AND GUIDING MEANS IN MICROFILM PROJECTORS 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March '7, 1945 w. N 1W w w A INVEN TORS T Y mm E F m m E E VEFNE yum! July3, 1951 v. E. PRATT ET AL 7 2,558,982

FILM ADVANCING AND GUIDING MEANS IN MICROFILM PROJECTORS ATTORNEYS July 3, 1951 v. E. PRATT ET AL 2,558,982

FILM ADVANCING AND GUIDING MEANS IN MICROFILM PROJECTORS Filed March '7, 1945 v '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIEA- A INVENTORS VERNEL/R E. PRATT GEORGE F- EJ'HAY ATTO R N EYS July 3, 1951 v. E. PRATT ET AL 2,558,982

FILM ADVANCING AND GUIDING MEANS IN MICROF'ILM PROJECTORS 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March '7, 1945 Fig-5- F'IBJE- AQS WY AA MW w 0 7 E TE N N R RE 0 S T N-MR T 5m. M A w s w m 2 rk 7 4 9 M Juiy 3, 1951 v. E. PRATT ET AL 2,558,982

FILM ADVANCING AND GUIDING MEANS IN MICROFILM PROJECTORS Filed March 7, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVE NT'OR5 VERNEL/R E. PRATT EEUREE F. E

UWM Q AT TO R N EY$ J y 195] v. E. PRATT ET AL 2,553,982

FILM ADVANCING AND GUIDING MEANS IN MICROFILM PROJECTORS Filed March '7, 1945 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 17am filial} ATTO R N EYS Patented .Fuiy 3i, i951 FILM ADVANCING AND GUIDING MEANS IN MICROFILM PROJECTORS' Verneur E. Pratt and George F. Gray, Norwalk, Conn.

Application March 7, 1945, Serial No. 581,354

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in film advancing and guiding means in microfilm projectors, and is directed more particularly to the provision of a reading machine for microfilm or the like, including means for producing enlarged prints of any desired frame.

An object of the invention is the provision in a projector of a novel film gate or pressure plate which consists of a curved transparency adapted to be positioned in the machine in one position for projecting negatives, and adapted to be reversed for projecting positives. aforementioned positions the negative or the positive microfilm emulsions are not in contact with the gate or pressure plate and, therefore, the emulsions do not become scratched.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision in a microfilm reading machine of a casing, a turret mounted thereon carrying film advancing mechanism, a film gate or pressure plate, and a condensing lens system, said turret being freely movable on said casing to a plurality of positions, and illuminating means in said casing and depending from said turret, so that illumination is supplied to the turert regardless of its position.

An object of the invention is the provision in a projector of means for projecting an image downwardly, means in said projector for reflecting said image laterally upon a screen in a side wall of said projector and the provision of a second mirror movable to, or away from, a position to reflect said image horizontally in an opposite direction and upon a light sensitive surface supported on the opposite wall of said projector.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a study of the accompanying drawings and the specification.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our new and improved projector showing the turret on the top and the viewing screen on one side thereof;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the projector shown in Figure 1, with the turret positioned as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation similar to Figure 2, except that the turret has been rotated 90 from the position shown in Figure 2 and also in which the printing mirror diverts the image to a sensitized surface carried on the rear wall of the projector:

Figure 4 is a reduced plan view of the turret showing the film gate or pressure plate positioned for projecting negative film. The emulsion side 1 In each of the of the film does not come in contact with the glass or other transparent material forming the film gate or pressure plate;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, except that the film gate or pressure plate is turned to a reversed position so as to project positive film;

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the turret of Fi ure 4;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 1-1 of Figure 2, showing the indexing knob associated with the printing mirror;

Figure 8 is a plan view of one form of our pressure plate;

Figure 9 is a plan view of a modified form of the same;

Figure 10 is an elevation of a film gate or pressure plate with its supporting studs secured thereto to form a unitary structure;

Figure 11 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the mirror-objective lens unit;

Figure 12 is a plan view of the mirror-objective lens unit;

Figure 13 is a diagrammatic sketch showing the electrical circuits and controls in the projector;

Figure 14 shows a further modification of the invention wherein the pressure plate is stationary and the film is out of contact therewith while being moved and brought into contact therewith for projecting under control of solenoids; and

Figure 15 is a detailed view of one of the arms supporting the film rollers.

Referring first to Figure 1, the new and improved projector consists of a casing generally designated by the numeral 20. The front portion 2| of this casing is indented or recessed to support a viewing screen 22. On the front of the casing is a control handle 23 carrying a depending stud (not shown) which moves along in a slot 24 as the control handle is moved to the right or to the left. Associated with the stud on the control handle and mounted inside the casing is a control for the film feed which will be hereinafter more fully explained in connection with Figure 13. On the right hand side of the casing is a knob 25 which controls the supplying of current to the source of illumination.

The top wall 26 of the casing has a depression formed therein which will be described in connection with Figure 2. Rotatably supported in the depression is a plate 21 which will hereinafter be termed a turret plate.

Mounted on the turret plate in spaced relation to each other are reel shafts 28 and 29. The reel shaft 28 may carry a reel 30 of film 3|. A takeup reel 82 may be mounted on the reel shaft 29 and the film 9| secured thereto after it is passed through the film gate which will presently be described. The shafts 28 and 29 in their upper portions are preferably square so as to engage square holes in the reels and drive the same. The turret also carries a housing 99 for the mirror-objective cell and the film gate to be presently described; a housing for the condensing lens system, has a finned portion 85 for the illuminating mirrer to be presently described.

Referring now to Figure 2, which is a sectional elevation of the projector shown in Figure 1, the top wall 26 of the casing has an annular depression 36 formed therein leaving an annular shoulder 81 upon which the turret plate 21 rides. Suitable balls or other friction reducing elements (not shown) may be interposed between the ledge 81. and the turret plate 21 to facilitate the rotation of the turret. The turret plate 21 has a rectangular opening 38 formed therein. Mounted in the Opening 38 is a first surface mirror 39 carried on a bracket 48 which is secured to the plate 21. A lamp housing 4| has its upper end flanged at 42 and this flange is secured to the lower face 21' of the turret plate 21 in any suitable manner, for example, by means of screws 83. The open end of the lamp house permits the delivery of light through the opening 38. Within the lamp house near the upper end thereof is a suitable bracing web 44 having a masked opening 45 formed therein.

In the lower portion of the lamp house is a. socket 46 in which a lamp 4?, which forms the source of illumination for the progector, is mounted. A conductor 48 leads from he socket 46 to a source of current and a light switch, which will be described in connection with Figure 13.

The turret plate 21 has a depression 49 formed therein, and supported in this depression is a condensing lens cell 58 which carries condensing lenses I and 52 with a spacer sleeve 53 therebetween. Also supported in the depression 49 is mounted a heat absorbing lens 54. Positioned on the turret plate 21 in front of the condensing lens (to the left of the condensing lens as seen in Figure 2) our new and improved film gate or pressure plate 55 which will presently be described in detail. Mounted in a hole 56 formed in the turret plate 21 is the shank portion 51 of a mirror-objective lens element 58. This element includes a mirror 59 inclined at a 45 angle with the axis of the condensing lens cell 58. The shank portion 51 has its axis cutting the mirror at substantially a midpoint therein and adjust ably carries an objective lens 68.

The reel shaft 28 has a lower portion which is round, and which is journalled in a bushing 6| mounted in the plate 21. The lower portion 28' of the shaft 28 is journalled in a. plate 82 carrying a small electric motor 63. A gear 64 is keyed to the shaft 28 and, meshing with the gear 64 is a pinion 65 carried on a shaft 68 which is journalled in the plate 62 and in the turret plate 21. Secured to the pinion 65 is a gear 81 which meshes with a pinion 68 carried on the motor shaft 69. V

The reel shaft 29 is similarly arranged and has associated therewith gears, pinions, and an electric motor duplicating those just described in connection with the reel shaft 28, the motor being designated by the numeral 63 and the gears corresponding to the gears 64 and 81 being respectively designated as 64 and 61. Positioned on the base I8 of the casing is a support or standard II, the upper portion 12 of which forms the support for a first surface mirror I3. This mirror is inclined to the right with the horizontal and normally receives the emergent beam from the objective lens 68.

A double faced first surface mirror I4 is secured to a supporting shaft I5 suitably journalled in the side walls, 19 and 88, of the casing. This mirror has secured thereto a yoked member I6 (see Figure '1) which has a stud 'II extending into a slot I8 formed in the right side wall of the casing. Concentric with the right end of the slot, as seen in Figure 2, a counterbore 8| is provided. At the left end of the slot is formed a second counterbore 82. A shouldered screw 83 threadedly engages a central hole in the stud TI. This screw has an enlarged head 84 which forms a working fit in a counterbore 85 formed in a knob 86. The shank 81 of this knob is of a diameter to form a working fit in the counterbore 8|. Within the counterbore 85 and surrounding the shank of the screw 83 is a spring 88 which urges the knob toward the wall 88 of the casing.

The purpose of the slot I8 is to permit the mirror II to be swung within the cabinet to a plurality of positions which are defined by the engagement of the shank 81 of the knob 86 with the counterbore 8|, for one position of the mirror I4 or with the counterbore 82 for another position of the mirror.

A kidney-shaped shield 89 has a boss 98 with a hole therein which fits the shank TI. This shield is secured to the shank 11 in any suitable manner, for example, by means of a pin 9|, so that it always spans or covers the slot I8, thereby making the casing light-tight. When the mirror I4 is in the position shown in solid lines in Figure 2, light projected upon the mirror I2 by the objective lens 68 is reflected up to the surface Il of the mirror and this surface in turn reflects it to the screen 22.

The rear wall 92 of the casing has an opening 93 formed therein, and adjacent to the bottom edge of this opening is a locating strip 94. A

door 95 is adapted to have its bottom edge positioned in engagement with the locating strip 94 and carries at the top a retaining spring 96 which engages the upper edge of the opening 93. A knob 91 is provided to facilitate the removal of the door 95. Mounted on the door, and extending through the opening 93 is a frame 98 which holds a pad 99 formed of light-sensitive paper, for example. The paper may be perforated in line with the opening I88 formed in the frame 98 with the exception of portions at the ends thereof which form tabs IN to facilitate the removal of an exposed sheet from the block or pad 99.

When the mirror I4 is in the position shown in dot-dash lines, the second surface 14' receives the emergent beam from the objective lens 68 and reflects it upon the block 99 within the opening I88 of the frame 98.

The film gate or pressure plate 55 is shown in detail in Figures 8 and 10. The film gate consists of a. curved plate of glass or the like,

. the midportion I82 of which the curve is slightly flatter as shown in Figure 8. This midportion lies in the field of the optical system, and although slightly curved, presents a practically flat field for the portion of the film to be projected.

A mounting stud I88 has a slot I84 formed therein, and one end of the pressure plate is cemented in this slot. A second mounting stud I05 has a similar slot I06 which is cemented to the other end-of, the pressure plate 55. I The stud I03 has a portion I01 of reduced diameter thereby providing a shoulder I08. Likewise, the stud I05 has a portion I09 of reduced diameter defining a shoulder IIO which is in .horizontal alignment with the shoulder I08.

In Figure 9 is shown a modified form of pressure plate 55. The midportion III is formed of a curve of a substantially longer radius than the radius of the body of the pressure plate, so as to provide a continuous curve and yet hold the film in intimate contact with the portion of longer radius, with the result that the field of the projected image is almost flat.

Referring again to Figure 10, the portions I01 and I09 fit in holes H2 and H3 formed in the turret plate 21. These holes may be seen in the bottom view, Figure 6.

Referring now to Figure 4, the pressure plate 55 is mounted with the shank I09 of the stud I05 engaging the hole H3 and the shank I01 of the stud I03 engaging the hole II2. A reel 30 carrying negative film 3I is positioned on the reel shaft 28. The film is led over a roller II4, then across to a second roller I I5 in alignment therewith and thence the film passes on and is secured to the take-up reel 32. The rollers H4 and II5, as may be seen in Figure 4, are so positioned on the turret plate 21 that a line tangent to both rollers falls behind the" surface of the pressure plate engaged by the film. Therefore, the tension on the film holds the film in contact with the surface of the pressure plate 55.

Now, in order to maintain a substantially uniform pressure of the film against the pressure plate 55, we employ a motor 63 tending to drive the take-up reel 32 in the direction of the solid arrow, and a second motor 63 is geared to the shaft 29 and tends to drive the reel 30 in the direction of the dotted arrow. This arrangement is described in our co-pending application Serial Number 539,740, filed June 10, 1944, now Patent Number 2,412,551, issued December 10, 1946. The motors are connected together with a potentiometer between them so that as the current supplied to one motor is increased,

the current supplied to the other motor is decreased with the result that the motor receiving the greatest amount of current drives the film, and the other motor acts as a brake. This arrangement will be more fully described in the circuit diagram, Figure 13.

Light from the condensing unit the film. It is then directed downwardly by the mirror 59 in the mirror-objective lens unit 58 and passes through the objective lens and onto the mirror 13 and the surface 14 of the mirror 14 and thence to the screen 22, where the image is to be viewed on the screen. If the image is one which it is desired to reproduce, the mirror 14 may be shifted to the dot-dash position (Figure 2) and the surface 14 of this mirror will direct the light to the surface of the pad 99. If the film to be projected is a positive film instead of a negative, the pressure plate 55 may be lifted out from the position shown in Figure 4, turned end for end, as shown in Figure 5, and reinserted with the shank of the stud I05 engaging the hole H2 and with the shank of the stud I03 engaging the hole II3. A reel 30 carrying film 3| is positioned on the reel shaft 29 and film 3|" is threaded over the roller II4,

. 50 passes through the pressure plate 55 thence through in contact with the rear of the pressure plate and may pass over the roller II5 to the take-up reel 32.

When the pressure plate 55 is in the position shown in Figure 5 it will be noted that a line tangent to the upper surfaces of the roller H4 and II5 lies forwardly of the pressure plate 55 so that when the take-up reel 32 is driven by its motor 63 and the reel 30 is braked or retarded by its motor 63 the positive film is firmly held in contact with the pressure plate 55. If the objective lens had previously been in focus with the negative film, it would have to be adjusted to compensate for the moving of the focal plane (the active surface of the pressure plate 55) The mirror-objective lens mount 58 is shown in detail in Figures 11 and 12, Figure 11 being a sectional view seen along the lines IIII of Figure 12. The unit 58 includes a body portion II6 having a shank portion 51 previously described as fitting in a hole 56 in the turret plate. The shank 51 is provided with tongues or keys H1 and H8 which engage corresponding slots formed in the hole 56 for properly orienting the mirror with the optical axis of the projector. The body portion II6 has a rectangular depression II9 formed therein and this depression forms a socket for the mirror 59. The interior bore of the shank 51 is provided with threads I20 which are engaged by corresponding threads on the barrel of the objective lens so that the latter may be screwed in or out to focus the image on the screen 22 or on the surface of the block 99.

Figure 13 shows a wiring diagram wherein a pair of conductor are connected to a source of current I2I. These conductors lead to a switch I22, and leading from the switch is a conductor I23 which is connected to switch 25. A transformer I24 has a primary winding I25, one end of which is connected to the switch 25 and the other end of which is connected to a conductor I26 leading from the switch I22. The transformer has a secondary winding I21, the terminals of which are connected to the projection lamp 41 by means of wires 48. The motor 63 has one terminal thereof connected via a wire I28 to one terminal of the motor 63. The wire I28 1 connected via wire I29 to the conductor I23. The motor 63 has its other terminal connected via wire I 30 to one end of a resistance winding I3I and the other end of the resistance winding is connected via a wire I32 to the other terminal of a motor 63. The resistance winding I3I is arranged so that the turns thereof may be contacted by a movable arm I33, and the movable arm is in turn connected via a wire I34 to the conductor I26. The movable arm I33 carries a slot I35 which is engaged by a depending stud I36 in the control handle 23. As the control handle is moved to the right or left along the slot 24 (Figure 1) the control arm I33 is swung in either direction, and thereby cuts a greater resistance in series with one of the motors and reduces the resistance in series with the other of the motors (the motors being 63 and 63 As stated above, the motor having less resistance in series therewith operates to drive the film against the urge of the other motor, which has a greater resistance in series therewith, and thereby the last mentioned motor acts as a brake. The switch I22 controls all current going into the machine and the switch 25 control the illumination of the projection lens 41.

Referring to Figure 14, which is a further modification of the invention, the turret plate 21 carries reel shafts 28 and 29 upon which are mounted reels 30 and 32, respectively. The shafts 28 and 29 are driven by motors exactly like those described above in connection with Figures 2 and 3. The mirror and objective-lens holder 58 is the same as is shown in Figure 4 and the same condensing lens assembly 58 is employed. Between the lens holder 58 and the condensinglens assembly 50 the turret plate 21 has holes H2 and H3, and the pressure plate 55 is mounted with the shank of the stud I engaging the hole H3 and the shank of the stud I03 engaging the hole II2, just as has been above described in connection with Figure 4. A reel 30 carrying either negative or positive film is positioned on the reel shaft 28 and the film is led over a roller H4, then across to a second roller H5 in substantial alignment therewith, and thence the film passes on and is secured to the take-up reel 32. The rollers II4 and H5 are mounted on the turret plate in a, novel manner, and since both mountings and the associated elements are identical except that they are rights and lefts, it is only necessary to describe one of them.

The roller H5, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, is secured to an arm I31 by means of a shouldered screw I38 engaging a threaded hole therein adjacent to one end thereof. The other end of the arm I31 is provided with a boss or hub I38 which is journalled on a shouldered screw I40 having threads I4I which engage a threaded hole in the plate 21. Intermediate the end of the arms I31 is an upstanding boss I42 which carries a tapped hole which is engaged by a shouldered screw I43. A solenoid plunger I44 has a flattened portion I45 at one end thereof and a bearing hole with suflicient clearance is formed therein and is engaged by the shank of the screw I43. A solenoid winding I46 is mounted on the turret plate 21 and the plunger I44 may reciprocate therein. A stop pin or boss I41 mounted in the plate 21 defines the normal position of the roller H5 and a spring I48 having one end connected to a pin I49 in the arm I31 and having its other end connected to a stud I50 in the plate 21 urges the arm I31 to its normal position.

As stated above, the roller supports are identical except for rights and lefts, so the elements associated with the roller H4 will be given the same numerals as just described, with the addition of the letter (1" after each numeral.

It will be seen in Figure 14 that when the rollers H4 and II5 are in their normal positions, with their supporting arms I31 and I31, respectively, in contact with the stops I41 and I41, the film just clears the face of the pressure plate I55. Thus, it can be seen that whether the emulsion is on the side of the film facing the pressure plate or on the side facing the objective-lens unit, it cannot be scratched while it is being moved.

Now, when the film is at rest and is to be projected, the energization of the solenoids I46 and I45 will effect the pulling in of the plungers I44 and I44 and thereby swing the arms I31 and I31 upwardly, as viewed in Figure 14, to the positions shown in dot-dash lines, stops I5I and I5I also being provided for defining these positions. When the rollers are in these positions, a tangential line spanning them passes well behind the face of the pressure plate, and the opposite pull of the motors on the shafts 28 and 29 pulls the film taut so that it is spanning the slightly curved surface of the pressure plate under tension and will, therefore, make a good projection. As soon as the solenoids I46 and I46 are deenergized, the springs I48 and I48 immediately pull the ar I31 and I319 downwardly until they contact the stops I41 and I41, respectively, and the film is ready to be moved again.

Now, for conveniently operating and controlling the film feed and solenoids, the stud I36 projecting inwardly from the control handle 23 may, in an endwise manner, bear against a pair of contact arms. These contact arms are normally closed and are connected in series with the solenoids and the source of current, so that normally after the main switch is turned on, the solenoids are energized and the rollers are held inthe projecting position. When it is desired to move the film in either direction, the control handle 23 is pushed in so as to operatively engage the slot in the movable arm I35, and as this is done, the pair of contacts in the solenoid circuit are opened, thereby de-energizing the solenoids and allowing the rollers II4 and H5 to immediately assume the normal positions. so that as the control arm is moved in either direction, the film may be moved in either direction without being in actual contact with the pressure plate 55.

The term pressure plate used in this specification and in the appendant claims is defined as a convex plate against which the entire transverse width of the film is tensioned in the focal plane of the lens for projection to the screen or to the surface of the pad 99.

Although we have described a preferred embodiment of the new and improved projector, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the arrangement herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a transparent pressure plate having a convex film-engaging surface, means including members carried by said support at each end of said plate and adapted to receive the same for removably supporting said plate on said support whereby said plate may be positioned with said convex surface toward or away from a lens, a lens mounted on said support to project images from film contacting the convex surface of said plate, said surface being in the optical path of said lens, a casing wherein said support is revolvably mounted in the top wall thereof, said lens being positioned with its optical axis parallel to the transverse surface of said plate, and a reflector mounted on said support and positioned between said plate and lens to reflect images from film supported on said plate to said lens.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a transparent pressure plate having a convex film-engaging surface, means including members carried by said support at each end of said plate and adapted to receive the same for removably supporting said plate on said support whereby said plate may be positioned with said convex surface toward or away from a lens, a removable cell carried by said support, a lens mounted in said cell to project images from film contacting the convex surface of said plate, said surface being in the optical path of said lens, said lens having its optical axis parallel to the transverse surface of said plate, and a rightangled reflector in said cell positioned to receive images from film supported on said convex surface of said plate and reflect said images to said lens.

VERNEUR E. PRATT. GEORGE F. GRAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I Date Owens Oct. 13, 1931 Number Number Name Date Rose Jan. 10, 1933 Wittel Nov. 7, 1933 Schulz Feb. 19, 1935 Gorden, Jr. May 25, 1937 Draeger -Apr. 26, 1938 Debrie Jan. 3, 1939 Draeger Oct. 31, 1939 Katz Nov. 28, 1939 Johnson Apr. 2, 1940 Luboshez Sept. 16, 1941 Beck Dec. 16, 1941 White Dec. 1, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Nov. 3, 1932 France 1 June 21, 1937 France Oct. 17, 1938 

